Stripping wire is hard?

[hugh]

It could be worse, but I came across this connection in my new 21C. This is the ring terminal on the main battery feed.

This one connection seems to show just about everything you can do wrong when crimping a connector: cutting/damaging strands, leaving strands outside the crimp, and removing too much insulation.


If it was me, I'd at least have thrown some heat shrink on there to hide it.

[HABBERDABBER]

Given their backlog, volume, corporate ownership, labor pool and Covid complications, it's sad to see but not a complete surprise.

[Iowa Dave]

One thing is a cinch, they are not my brother. The old man would have not stood for sloppy work like that even if it was on our own stuff, temporary and done in the dark.
Iowa Dave

[hugh]

Originally Posted by HABBERDABBER

Given their backlog, volume, corporate ownership, labor pool and Covid complications, it's sad to see but not a complete surprise.

Yeah, on the whole, the trailer is pretty good, but you can definitely see some fairly "rough edges" that wouldn't be there with a little more care, time, and/or employee training.

[Ron in BC]

Unfortunately this isn't anything recent or only after the new owners took over. There have been lot's of examples of this sort of thing over the years.

It's disappointing to see this sort of thing continuing. I don't think any rank newbie DIY person doing their first crimp connection would feel good about that result.

As my teacher's used to say, "could do better."

Ron

[WillyB]

I'd send the photo to Karl and let him know you've posted it on this forum.

Sometimes a good public shaming that will affect future sales gets the desired results. Especially for a company that uses social media to market their products.

It's a good thing nothing caught fire.

[hugh]

Originally Posted by WillyB

I'd send the photo to Karl and let him know you've posted it on this forum.

Sometimes a good public shaming that will affect future sales gets the desired results. Especially for a company that uses social media to market their products.

It's a good thing nothing caught fire.

It's definitely not ideal, especially considering that wire carries more current than any other wire in the trailer.


That said, I'm picking my battles. That particular wire is going to the recycling bin anway, as I'm currently installing lithium batteries.


What I'd _really_ like to hear back from them is how best to clean/fix my shower wall. The propane tank cover was stored in the bathroom during transport and ground a bunch of black dirt into the wall. (why they "packed" the cover in there without at least some padding, I'll never know)


I'm guessing some fine grit sandpaper will fix the issue, but I don't want to make it worse that it is already. I emailed them right after I got the trailer, and it's been crickets since then.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I'd try some cleaner-wax, like good ol' Meguiars Marine.... the inside of the bathroom is the same gel coat as the exterior.. if the cleaner wax only sort of lightens it without stripping it right off, step up to a marine paint cleaner compound, then a polish, and finish with a wax. go easy with the cleaner, they are light abrasives.

[MrLynn]

Originally Posted by WillyB

I'd send the photo to Karl and let him know you've posted it on this forum.

Sometimes a good public shaming that will affect future sales gets the desired results. Especially for a company that uses social media to market their products.

It's a good thing nothing caught fire.

Does anyone know whether someone at ETI reads this Forum, and the Facebook page too?



Send the photo!

[BobG]

The crimp connection looked familiar to me. I picked my trailer up in February 2021 and took this picture. I measured the voltage drop across this connection during charging and it was significant.

[cpaharley2008]

What area are these pictures from? I want to look at mine as well as others may wish to inspect their connections.

[BobG]

The picture of mine was the breaker between the battery and converter on my 2021 21NE delivered in February 2021. I had started disassembling the electrical system in preparation to installing a different system. The broken strands were not apparent until closer inspection. The attached picture in this post of the breaker is prior to me doing much work on the lithium installation.

To be fair, the system as delivered worked but the connection and wiring did warm up and the voltage delivered to the battery was low when the charger was running near full output.

I found some poorly crimped connectors throughout the trailer.

[johnnyv]

Hello, where exactly is that switch. Thx

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by johnnyv

Hello, where exactly is that switch. Thx

Bob's pic has an aftermarket battery cutoff switch with the red handle. The thermal circuit breaker with the funky ring terminal crimp should be right near your power center, on my 21 classic it is under the street side dinette bench

[BobG]

As John says, the breaker is near the power center. My intent was just to point out not much change in quality of electric work between my trailer and Hugh's. Maybe the past 1.5 years.
The red switch came with the trailer. I ordered trailer without a battery and picked up the trailer in Sumas Feb 2021.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by BobG

The red switch came with the trailer. I ordered trailer without a battery and picked up the trailer in Sumas Feb 2021.

I'm a little surprised that they let you take delivery that way. I thought that the trailer had to be in road worthy condition before delivery.

On my 19 I wanted it "no batteries and no welded cross bars for the battery." They said it had to have a battery but they would bolt the cross bar so that I wouldn't have to cut it off. If the cross bars are still being bolted on, that's where it started.

Ron

[BobG]

Escape used a lead acid battery for delivery to Sumas. The delivery person took it. I connected my lithium battery and strapped it to the floor in the driver side dinette bench. When I got home I started my work.

[hugh]

Originally Posted by BobG

The crimp connection looked familiar to me. I picked my trailer up in February 2021 and took this picture. I measured the voltage drop across this connection during charging and it was significant.

Yowzers... that one is really bad... looks like only half the strands are intact!

[hugh]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

What area are these pictures from? I want to look at mine as well as others may wish to inspect their connections.

My picture is under the passenger side dinette bench, on a 21C with the "basic" (not U-shaped) dinette. There's a set of connections / thermal breakers behind the battery right where the wires disappear to cross to the other bench seat. Not sure I would have noticed it, had i not removed the factory installed battery and battery box.


Here's an uncropped version of the same pic, which shows the location a little better.

[hugh]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

I'd try some cleaner-wax, like good ol' Meguiars Marine.... the inside of the bathroom is the same gel coat as the exterior.. if the cleaner wax only sort of lightens it without stripping it right off, step up to a marine paint cleaner compound, then a polish, and finish with a wax. go easy with the cleaner, they are light abrasives.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a try. Sounds like my fine-grit sandpaper idea might have been a bit aggressive.